Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1887-02-24
Letter from Alaska,

+ A lady in this city has received the follow
ins interesting letter from Mr.. Susan Adam,
HeppneT. which WE are allowed 10 publish.
! LAKE MorNrAIx MINING COMPANY.
SITKA. ALASKA. Jan. -. lss7
! \ person would quite naturally think
that AT a distance Of four thousand miles
northwest from Maine she would reach
the utmost limit. But not 50: there is
both land and sea beyond No pen can de
scribe the scenery in Alaska The Won
drous works Of nature as here displayed 50
far exceed human anticipation a to render
futile any effort at pen portraiturc
arrived here on the morning Of June Q. Sc.
Sitka is al old town. having been first
settled away back in the 18TH century. 1t is
beautifully located on level plateau at
the foot Of high mountains and protected
from the ocean by a net work OF rocky and
partially pinc-Covercd islands. From my
west window ! can see over this group Of
islands and often while away the time
watching the white caps on the ocean. 4
little to northward Mt Edgccombc rises in
majestic grandeur thousands Of feet above
the level of the sea. The uneven surface.
caused by the flow Of molten lava emitted
from this mountain in the days Of the vol
canic eruption>. is plainly visible. But the
fires are now extinct and the great noun
tain is calm and motonles>.
one Of tho chief atttac ctions mere - tHs
croek or Russian orthodox church Of st,
Michael The exterior X not 80 imposing
a. it once was Time has told on the
painted walls. The pancled picture Of st,
Michael over the doorway has lost it, lus-
ter and the evidences Of decay are quite
visible. The chimes of the six bells in the
tower retain their vibrant tones. and their
echoes become almost annoying during the
Lentcn period. The interior Of this church
j. rich in Communications Of white and
gold. In the trau>epts are side affairs,
while the main altar is reached through a
pair of bronze doors gidcd with silver
images Of the saints. No woman is al
lowed 10 cross the threshold Of the inner
sanctuary. for there the richest treasures
are kept. The picture OF the last supper
over the bronz doors is imposing, a. the
faces are painted on ivory, and the figures
are drapcd in robes of silver. An exquis-
ite painting Of the Madonna adorns one Of
the panels in the north transept where
winter services are held. ST. Michael. st.
Nicholas. and the whole company of apos-
ties and angels. on the same affairs. are
robed in silver garments, with jeyelcd
halos.
| witnessed the marriage ceremony Of
the venerable Annahootz, chief of the
Sitka tribe of Indians in this church 10
Ha-toos-ka hi> 18th wife. Annahootz is
now very old. blind as 4 bat, and i antici-
pating an early departure from this sphere
to the happy hunting-gromds on the other
side of the river. He has recently re-
nounced the tribal system of marriage, and
( demanded to be married according to the
rites of the Grecio-Russian church. The
ceremony was solemn and impressive, the
] scene imposing. The venerable chieftain
! was attired in full suit Of United States
4 uniform, which had been presented to him
| by army officers, while the bride, a buxom
/ kloOt Gilman (woman) of about forty sum
mers. was in full dress with overskirt elab-
| orately trimmed with furbelows ruftles,
etc Annahootz has quite a history and is
revered by the whites. In February 1879
! after the troops had been withdrawn from
this place, Catlian, chief of the kaksustie
wing of the Sitkas conceived the design
of massacring all of the pale faces in Sit
ka marshaled his forces and made wild
rush for the gate of the stockade, but Anna
hootz with that intrepid daring so charac-
teristic of his race, threw himself in the
breach and proclaimed in his native die
lect, and in tones of thunder, that the pale
faces should be protected. He was fol
lowed by few of the kok-wan-tie wing
of the tribe, and barred his bosom to the
furv of the murderous followers of Cat
lian, and was twice stabbed. Of course the
1 whites are all his friends, and extend tc
the venerable blind cheftain every kind
ness and courtesy.
These Indians are queer people, differ
| ing in many respects from the Indians OF
the plains On the walls and on the i'll
side of their houses are elaborate carvings
representing the faces of men and beasts
representing events in their genealogy ant
mythology. If ever these mysteries an
to be solved and the pictures finally reac
Alright, the ethnologist should be at work
for with the advance of civilization they
are losing reverence for these singular
heraldic monuments. They have strange
traditions, and in their mythology the rdr
en- stands as the creator, and the first of al
created things. Their theory is that al
life comes from the raven, and that aftel
he created the world, he created 'comdR
making her the representative of the ravel
family, and therefore supreme, while maj
is secondary creation, and the head OF
wolf. Some of them have tradition o.
the deluge, and believe that the chosei
family were given the shape of crows o.
ravens, and that after the waters subsid
ed thev returned to the earth and peoplet
it with their descendants.
The climate here is exceedingly mild
The mercury has not been to zero durins
the winter months passed. The Japal